Lily wrote:And it explains why rarely any new members sign up.If Michelle and Minimalist don't take charge and weed out the vermin it'll be the deathknell of this place. It's gasping and heaving on life-support as it is.

Agree but only the crank stuff seems to generate any discussion at all.

Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.

Or maybe "crank" is a smear term that means "We can't acknowledge that might be valid without abandoning our core axioms, so nobody else is allowed to, either. And if they do, we'll raise holy hell until they fall in line with the rest of us right-thinkers"

These are missionary types obsessed with trying to herd everybody else back inside the concept box they feel safe in.

Apparently somebody in school convinced them they were ordained as the Guardians of not only knowledge but of epistomology, and they take this mission very seriously.

Except for EP getting cranky sometimes (he's old & entitled), ALL of the static here comes directly from this. Most of it their own doing, and the rest of it in the responses they provoke by their attitude.

When you are dealing with someone whose idea of a reasoned rebuttal is mockery, you are dealing with an idiot.

uniface wrote:When you are dealing with someone whose idea of a reasoned rebuttal is mockery, you are dealing with an idiot.

Rebuttal:An attempt to contradict or disprove an argument by offering a counter argument or countervailing proof.

You must have missed all the recent rebuttals if you believe that . Where there isn't a rebuttal there is a refutation .

Here are some of the recent examples “the humungous prehistoric meagliths in Russia” and the concomitant belief that nature doesn't do “right angles “ . Multiple links as evidence proving that similar geology is found throughout the world ,including ubiquitous examples of right angles .In response nothing but bile and no evidence .Cosos artefact ,very simple explanation with supporting evidence showing that the “artefact” was a spark plug verified by an expert ,and that there was no geode verified by an expert . Response ,zero apart from a comment along the lines of “your'e on your own bro “ ,which is not only wrong but is not really a meaningful response .Hagar Qim was built in the middle to late Pleistocene and was never covered in sand . There was a huge error in the thinking about how the middle Pleistocene is dated and absolutely nothing to support the date of build . Evidence was provided of drawings made of the site prior to excavation showing it covered in sand .Response :nothing evidential and a comment elsewhere about “vermin” spoiling the forum ,hilariously with no sense of irony followed up a little later with mention of fascists. Vitrified Forts : You believed that “ it's evidence of an arial catastrophe nothing could have survived” but never came up with any evidence and when asked to do so or explain where you got the idea from ,you refused describing the request as a “gambit” .Again, there was a simple explanation supported by evidence with nothing to support your view . Even a simple rebuttal relating to the recent Aussie DNA sampling problems was just ignored .These are rebuttals and refutations of specific points , not some generalised “all X is crap” and your'e all nuts to believe it” followed a bunch of emoticons ,which seems to be what passes for discussion from some .

Like conspiracy "theorists" ( which is a dreadful misuse of the word ) any one who refutes or resists the "conspiracy" is defined as being part of it.

For myself, I'm sick of hearing about Velikovsky, and Sitchin, and Von Daniken and the guy with the hair, etc. I will not take anything those kooks say seriously.

Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.

You evaded the list of multiple recent rebuttals and refutations which made a mockery of your "When you are dealing with someone whose idea of a reasoned rebuttal is mockery, you are dealing with an idiot." ,the comment obviously doesn't apply to those who are opposed to your views ,but does seem to fit your own approach ,see below .

I also outlined the missionary attitude of the true believers who fail to provide evidence and generally respond with " some generalised “all X is crap” and your'e all nuts to believe it” followed a bunch of emoticons ,which seems to be what passes for discussion from some ."

Which you responded to with "Groupthink is Happythink ! " a perfect example of what I had just highlighted

Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.